WVC 60A-5-504
§60A-5-504. Cooperative arrangements; confidentiality; treatment
of minor without knowledge or consent of parent or
guardian.
(a) The state board of pharmacy and the appropriate
departments, boards, and agencies, as specified in section 301,
shall cooperate with federal and other state agencies in
discharging their responsibilities concerning traffic in controlled
substances and in suppressing the abuse of controlled substances.
To this end, they may:

(1) Arrange for the exchange of information among governmental
officials concerning the use and abuse of controlled substances;

(2) Coordinate and cooperate in training programs concerning
controlled substance law enforcement at local and state levels;

(3) Cooperate with the bureau by establishing a centralized
unit to accept, catalogue, file, and collect statistics, including
records of drug dependent persons and other controlled substance
law offenders within the state, and make the information available
for federal, state, and local law enforcement purposes. They shall
not furnish the name or identity of a patient or research subject
whose identity could not be obtained under subsection (c); and

(4) Conduct programs of eradication aimed at destroying wild
or illicit growth of plant species from which controlled substances
may be extracted.

(b) Results, information, and evidence received from the
bureau relating to the regulatory functions of this chapter,
including results of inspections conducted by it may be relied and
acted upon by the state board of pharmacy in the exercise of its regulatory functions under this chapter.

(c) A practitioner engaged in medical practice or research is
not required or compelled to furnish the name or identity of a
patient or research subject to the state board of pharmacy or to
the appropriate department, board, or agency by which he is
licensed or registered, as specified in section 301, nor may he be
compelled in any state or local civil, criminal, administrative,
legislative, or other proceedings to furnish the name or identity
of an individual that the practitioner is obligated to keep
confidential.

(d) No mental health organization or hospital shall be
compelled in any state or local civil, criminal, administrative,
legislative or other proceeding to furnish the name or identity of
any person voluntarily requesting treatment for or rehabilitation
from addiction to or dependency upon the use of a controlled
substance as defined in article one of this chapter.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any licensed
physician or competent medically trained person under his direction
may examine, diagnose, and treat any minor at his or her request
for any addiction to or dependency upon the use of a controlled
substance as defined in article one of this chapter without the
knowledge or consent of the minor's parent or guardian. Such
physician and such other persons shall not incur any civil or
criminal liability in connection therewith except for negligence or
willful injury.

Note: WV Code updated with legislation passed through the 2014 1st Special Session
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